


Apple of My Heart

by milosdinosaur



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik Lehnsherr Being a Drama Queen, Erik Logic Is The Best Logic, Erik was almost Macheeto, Fluff and Crack, M/M, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:04:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23166763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milosdinosaur/pseuds/milosdinosaur
Summary: Humanity has always hated their kind. When a mouse dies, there is no grief. Humans celebrate the deaths of vermin, of pests, with smiles and declarations that their homes were “rat-free” and "clean again". Yet, dead whales or even llamas draw multitudes to jetties and farms alike. Who cries at the immolation of a mouse?Or, the one in which Erik and Charles are mice.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 17
Kudos: 32
Collections: Nothing Is So Beautiful As Spring Challenge 2020





	Apple of My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 19 - Rain

Erik normally steered clear of the dismal dwellings where humans gathered, but, unfortunately, the torrent of heavy summer rain drove him into one of the said human-infested hovels. He looked around the house in disdain. A sofa, television, sinks, tables. Humans had no creativity, it was almost as if one apartment gave birth to another copy. And of course, mousetraps.Only Erik’s helmet had allowed him to resist the sinister bait. It was a magnificent helmet, he had found it himself.

“Hello,” called a cheerful voice. Erik looked up, fearing the worse (humanity has always hated mice after all, and he wouldn’t be surprised if this were some nefarious plan to catch him unawares), but it was only another mouse. To Erik’s horror, the other mouse was kept in a cage. 

Erik didn’t know how he could be so _cheerful_ living in captivity. Perhaps he was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Or even worse, perhaps he didn’t know better. Erik chest filled with fierce rage as he recalled the humans’ dirty tactics: capturing mice, breeding them like animals to be experimented on. Erik hurried to his cage, always eager to help a fellow rodent in need. 

“It’s always wonderful to meet another mouse. I’m Charles,” the other mouse said with a twitch of his ears.

“Erik,” he replied. Erik took a good look at Charles, for it was always good to be aware of one’s surroundings. He was perfection incarnate. He had a smooth, white coat with big, blue eyes, all excellent traits to be found in a mouse.

“Hello Erik,” Charles said and _oh_ what a sound it was to hear his name in that lovely, accented voice. “I’ve never met someone like you before.” 

Upon hearing those words, Erik felt his chest puff up with pride.

“I must know, why do you wear aluminium foil on your head?” 

“What,” Erik said. 

“It’s foil, my friend. Humans use it to barbecue things.” 

Erik looked at him in disbelief. On one clawed foot, he was honoured that Charles would already consider him his friend, so soon after meeting. He felt the same way, a sort of kinship he hadn’t felt with anyone since his Mama was taken away by those vile humans. Clearly, they were meant to be. On the other, the idea that his trusted helmet was merely something used by humans was appalling, to say the least.

No matter, Erik decided. Man’s trash would be a mouse’s treasure. These foolish humans did not know what they were wasting. No wonder human leaders had to specially get other humans to clean up. Mice did it all on their own. No matter, when the humans finally drowned themselves in their litter, Erik would take advantage of it and launch his attack on humanity, ridding the earth of those pests once and for all. Until then, Erik was buying his time. Helping other rodents.

“Penne for your thoughts,” Charles said, pushing over a short, wide, yellow-white tube. Erik sniffed it suspiciously, it smelled like wheat, but it had an unnatural shape. Erik wouldn’t be surprised if the humans had somehow found a way to distort grain. 

“It’s pasta,” Charles said, as if that explained anything. 

“Yet another aspect of nature that has been warped by humans,” Erik said with an impassioned squeak. He would ensure Charles saw the light. With his goal in mind, he scurried off before Charles could say anything else.

Erik came back a few hours later with a slice of apple he found for his beloved. Charles only deserved the best of the best, so it made sense for Erik to bring him his favourite fruit to sample. It was far better than pasta, or dare he say, _cheese_. The humans weren’t back yet, which was preposterous. Charles deserved to be entertained every second of the day.

Erik pushed the slice through the gaps in the cage. The humans clearly weren’t smart enough to design something that stopped Erik. “For you, Charles.” 

“You didn’t have to,” Charles said, his ears turning pink. Erik was tremendously pleased that Charles had liked his gift. However,  before he could declare his desire to gift Charles with a mountain of apples (or ten, so he would never be found wanting), he continued. “Although this doesn’t mean you’re excused for running off like that.”

He had offended Charles. The most heinous of crimes! He vowed to bring many more to win Charles’ forgiveness. Charles picked up the fruit and took a tentative nibble.

“Thank you, Erik. It’s lovely, but I am still rather fond of pasta.” 

Erik could scarcely believe his ears. Clearly, his superior hearing had failed him. But that was impossible. Either that or Charles had been brainwashed. Maybe Charles had been deprived of the sweet, crisp taste of natural foods and had been subjected to eating man-made horrors for so long that he had forgotten what real food tasted like. Erik swore to spare Charles from the clutches of these infernal humans. 

With Charles by his side, he would establish the House of M (House of Mouse), a bastion of their rule. It would be a symbol of a life that would be for the betterment of all. One day, _Mus_ would be the dominant species instead of _Homo sapiens_. On that momentous day, he would gift Charles with a whole jar of honey to commemorate their triumph over humanity.

Charles looked at him with what might have been fond exasperation, almost as if he could read his thoughts, and took another bite out of his apple. 

“They’re not all bad, you know. My owners take good care of me. I have a wheel to run on, tunnels to explore and even a teether-totter to play with. Sometimes I even get tea! I haven’t been used as cat bait or anything quite so horrible.” 

Was it possible that Charles… liked living with humans? Unthinkable. 

On the way back home, Erik had a lot on his mind. As always, Erik did not scurry. He prowled. His every move back home was deliberate and dignified (including steadfastly avoiding Logan, who he was quite sure had rabies).

When a mouse dies, there is no grief. Humans celebrate the deaths of vermin, of pests, with smiles and declarations that their homes were “rat-free” or “clean again”. Yet, dead whales or even llamas draw multitudes to jetties and farms alike. Who cries at the immolation of a mouse? 

Still, Charles - sweet Charles who was bright and adorable and didn’t detest the humans even though he had been living with them for so long - had given him much to think about. Erik had many questions. Fortunately, he was aided by his superior mouse brain (which was bigger than a pea). Was Charles right? Could it be possible for humans and mice to co-exist?

Truly, he didn’t think it was possible. He decided he would have to convince Charles too, for it simply would not do for someone so perfect to be mistaken like this. He was looking out for mousekind. If it meant seeing Charles more often, well, that was simply an added bonus. 

Erik made a mental note to raid a tea shop before coming to visit Charles the next day. 


End file.
